Angel
by Riisoku
Summary: I lived a dull life...until I met an Angel who changed my outlook forever. But sometimes, an angel's wings can be broken...SquallCloud, RikuSora
1. Life Stories and the First Encounter

So!! Hiya!! My first fic. It's Squall/Cloud, so if you don't like...I warned you. D I'm horrible, so...go easy on me. And yes, I do have to thank my good budd Darkmousie for helping me out. She will be for other chapters to come...which I am sloooowly but surely working on.

Diclaimer: As much as any other fangirl, I owuld love to own Squall and Cloud...but Squeenix found them first. grumble

So, hope ou like it!! Review please!!

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_Chapter 1_

Have you ever thought about how dull and repetitive life is?

Everyday passes, and nothing new happens. You wake up, take a shower, eat breakfast, go to school. Then work, come home, eat dinner, watch the usual trash reality tv, and go to bed.

Riveting.

At least, that's how it was for the first 21 years of my uneventful life. Well, I suppose that's not entirely true. Perhaps I should start from the beginning. After all, that's how fairy tales usually begin, right?

I lived in a normal, run of the mill, cookie cutter neighborhood. Hollow Bastion was about as exciting as a bowl of oatmeal. Not the good oatmeal that has the apple chunks and sugary goodness loaded into it. No, this was the boring, uneventful, lumpy, so-healthy-its-_un_healthyvariety. Every yard was the same, each with perfectly kept grass and pruned gardens, filled with assortments of happily colored flowers. It was...sickeningly happy almost. My mother, however, never seemed to notice the lack of diversity and insisted that the neighborhood was 'quaint, unified, and just what this unorganized family needed!'.

Hm. Right.

In a way, she was correct in her justification; my family was unorganized...in fact, the word "unorganized" was an understatement. My younger brother, and youngest member of the family, was constantly on the go. Sora was born when I was six, and at the time I couldn't have been more excited to have a new member of the family. That is, of course, until I discovered that Sora was far from a calm, sweet, child...and could be more easily compared to a rabid monkey on a sugar high. Nonetheless, he was fun in his own way, and I came to have a soft spot for him. He seemed to be slightly less conformed than everyone else in the neighborhood...he was his own person from the start. My sister, who was one year younger than me, became like a mother figure to Sora. Tifa was tough, but kind, everything my mother wasn't. My mother fit in eventually with enough 'work'; with her quaffed hair and kitten heels. She tried harder than any of us to be 'normal', because, as a single parent, she was already an outcast. And school...that was the worst part.

By the time I was in high school, I was about ready to shoot myself. Not literally, although it did cross my mind several times. Don't get me wrong, I'm not normally the suicidal type, but after two years in that hell hole of a school, anyone would be thinking about the barrel. I remember the first day of my freshman year - one of the worst days of my life. Most of the students from the local middle school attended the private school located on the islands just off the coast. My mother, being the ever loving and thoughtful woman that she is, decided that it would be more important to have money for the new Ferrari she had her eye on than to send me to a private school for the better education. So, I attended Hollow Bastion High, the local public high school that was notorious for it's awful testing scores and drug dealers. The moment I stepped into my first class, I knew I was destined to be a social outcast, cut off from the rest of the student body. Not that I minded much; I was able to have more in depth conversation with my seven year old brother. My sister managed to find a clique, most likely due to her amiable personality and beautiful looks, and over the years managed to sneak me into popular parties and such, against my personal preference. Actually, it was my senior year at one of those said popular parties where my life changed - and my family became even more alienated.

It was any normal teenage party - filled with cheap beer, pounding music, and grinding teens wearing skanky clothing. Tifa somehow managed, over my protesting, to throw me in a pair of leather pants and a mesh shirt, both of which I was about ready to strip off in the middle of the dance floor. While I was pondering this idea, which was looking better and better by each passing song, a moment of pure...fate? Karma? Whatever it was, I was not expecting it - if I was, I would have fought harder to wear those baggy cargos. The previous slow song that had been playing came to a sudden halt, and Sexyback came pounding over the speakers. I felt the bile build up in my throat, and as I was attempting a quick getaway to the balcony, I felt a small tap on my shoulder. I sighed, prepared to turn down another sophomore slut wearing too much makeup asking for a grind, turned around, and dropped the cup of coke I was currently holding.

That was definitely no sophomore slut - and they were definitely NOT wearing makeup of any kind.

Standing two inches behind me, wearing a cocky smirk accented by ripped jeans and a sleeveless shirt, stood a tall, lanky creature with shiny brown hair pulled back into a long ponytail and beautiful blue eyes.

And oh yeah. Male. Can't forget that.

"Hey." He said smoothly, he smirk widening. "You wanna dance?"

Now, how long I stood there staring at him, I'm not sure. It all depends on how long it took me for my brain to register that yes, this was indeed a male (not my previous assumption of a muscular, flat-chested female), and yes, HE was asking ME (another male, thank you very much) to dance.

"Uh...uh..." My jaw was stuck in place on that one word, evidentially, and I'm sure I appeared to look as intelligent as a fish.

A dead fish, in this case.

Apparently this didn't faze my tall friend, and he took my incoherent mumbling as a yes. Grabbing my wrist, he dragged me into the packed crowd of underage dirty dancers and pulled my hips into his, grinding with me. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Tifa, currently sporting a white tank and black mini which, (combined with her knack for dirty dancing and…. How shall we say….well-endowed figure?), attracted the attention of a few Senior boys. As she was attempting to shrug them off, she caught my eye, and her jaw dropped clear out of its hinges. I shrugged with a sheepish look on my face, and realized that my hips were moving to the beat of their own accord. _Stop that!_! I scolded them mentally. _Stop wiggling voluptuously! ….wait….voluptuously?!?! What the hell! I'm not supposed to be dancing with another guy!! Do I look gay to him!?!?_ Oh. Wrong thing to think. It appeared as if my body was getting a little too comfortable, and it was at that point that I realized that this was just about the worst possible night for me to be wearing tight pants.

Of course, I had a long, interesting chat with Tifa that night about my humiliation. Every excuse that I could come up with for reasons why I was NOT gay and getting turned on in the middle of a dance floor by another male was perfectly normal for a straight guy, Tifa came up with twenty more as to why I WAS gay and then new ideas for potential boyfriends.

Enter - personal hate and more social alienation.

Granted, even though I didn't come out to anyone else, OR my mother, the personal shame I felt for the entirety of my senior year and a large chunk of my summer vacation would be enough to put a damper on Sora. And it remained personal, where I liked it to be. At least, until a little birdie told the whole high school that Squall Leonheart was a flaming homosexual.

My sister tried to stick up for me, but I insisted that she stay out of it. She had her own life, and I had mine, however pitiful it was. The more she tried to beat up the jocks for my sake, the more she came home with black eyes, and the more my mother questioned it - and the more hurt I became for her sake. I didn't want Sora to go to HB High with the reputation of being the siblings of the notorious Gay Squall and Bully Tifa, so we tried to stay away from others for the most part. My mother became more and more suspicious, and eventually came to Tifa and I when I rude hate letter was left on our front porch.

She kicked me out.

It upset me at first, knowing that my mother couldn't accept me for who I was, but my senses came to me eventually and I focused on getting a decent job that would send me to college without the financial support of my mother. I visited Sora often, and he seemed to be doing just fine at HB High, even with having a social outcast as an alumni. I managed to get a job at a book store on campus, allowing me to attend school on a (rather large) loan. So I lived my life peacefully for a few years, working on a degree in writing. And then my peaceful little life stopped...

...for an angel.

It was a normal Monday afternoon. The store wasn't very busy, as usual, and I took advantage of the peace by reading a good book I had found while restocking the drama and romance section.

"SQUALLY!!!" Twitch. Of course, the peace couldn't last for long. I felt the precious book being pulled out of my hands, and instead of beautiful literature, I saw the pearly whites of my boss.

Yes. Boss.

"Good afternoon, Ms. " I said monotonously. "Squally!!" She huffed. "How many times to I have to tell you to call me Yuffie before it sinks into that thick head of yours!" She knocked on my skull for good measure, placing the other manicured hand on her hip. I rolled my eyes. We had such a professional relationship. "A few more times, Ms. . You know I don't like calling you Yuffie during work hours. I, unlike yourself, prefer to remain as professional as possible in front of customers." Yuffie turned her head to the side, looking at the barren shop. "...Riiiiiight. Well, I just thought I'd let you know that Riku needs this Friday off, and that I need you to fill in for him."

Of course, Yuffie can never come over for a friendly chat. I raised an eyebrow, relifting my book so that only my eyes were visible. "And I would do this why?"

"Oh c'mon Squally!! I really_ really_ need you this time!! I have a date on Friday, so I can't fill in, and Reno is already going over his hours for this week! I need you just this once!" She pouted, stamping her foot on the carpet. She was so intimidating, really. I sighed. "Fine, fine, as long as you promise to pay me for overtime...and you'll stop whining and let me read." Her face brightened considerable, and she practically lunged herself over the counter at me. "Oh thank you thank you thank you!! I promise to pay you for overtime!! And why do you want to read that icky book anyway?" I snorted underneath my breath. "It's not 'icky'. It's a tragic tale of -"

"Two lovers, brought together by accident, who are separated by their feuding parents but see each other secretly. A Romeo and Juliet kind of story, really."

I stared at the person who finished my description for me. He smiled, setting a stack of book on the counter next to Yuffie. "I finished it last week, it's a good book." Yuffie followed his every movement and he fished his wallet out of his back pocket, and then looked over to me. Then suddenly, as if a light bulb had gone off in her head, she beamed, bouncing off the counter. "Oh yes!! Good, good book! Well enjoy your stay! 5 o'clock on Friday, Squally!!" She shouted over her shoulder as she flounced off.

"Squally?" I blushed ferociously, fumbling to put the book down and scan the large ones currently sitting on the counter. "Y-Yeah, my boss tends to tease me." He laughed warmly, the sound coming from his chest. "She seems fun. I wish my boss was as nice."

After I managed to scan all of his books, I stole a look. Oh, his face was as pretty as his voice. He was pretty short, but he looked to be around my age, with golden blonde hair spiked all over the place and baby blue eyes. He looked over and caught me staring, chuckling. "Yes, it's natural. And no, I'd rather you didn't touch it." I felt my ears warm. "I'm sorry, w-what?" I stammered, coming out of my daze. "My hair. You were staring at it, and that's usually the question I get after I catch someone staring." "Oh...right..." Awkward. I bagged his books, and we exchanged cash and the bag. He took the bag and continued to stand at the counter. "So where are you?"

"What?"

He laughed again. "In the book. What part are you at?" "O-Oh..." I said dumbly, picking up the book and shifting through the pages quickly to find my spot. "Well...Raphael was killed, and Guinevere is at the funeral." "Oh...that was sad. I needed a quart of Ben and Jerry's after that." He said, laughing again. Man, I could never get tired of that laugh...it seemed to make him happier every time he listened to it. He couldn't help but smile himself. "So I'm guessing you're in Byrum's class?" The man shook his head. "No, but my brother Demyx is. He didn't want to read the book, so I read it for him and told him what it was about." I chuckled, remembering. "I know Demyx. He's in my class, actually. I tutored him one semester." He smiled. "Ah, so you're THAT Squall. I've heard about you." I felt myself redden again. If this kept up I'd be permanently pink for the rest of my life. "I'm Cloud, by the way." He smiled again, the dimples in his cheeks appearing. Goddamn, he was cute.

Beep Beep Beep.

Cloud groaned and took out a phone from the pocket of his corduroys. "I'm sorry, but I have an appointment. Can we maybe...finish this conversation later?" Oh hell yeah!! I mean..."Yeah, sure. Maybe over a cup of coffee? How's Friday?" Cloud smiled, putting the phone back in his pocket. "Friday's great." He took out his receipt and scribbled on it, handing it to me. "Call me later, okay?" He winked and waved, taking his bag of books and walking out the door. I watched the swivel of his hips as he left.

Yup. Definitely gay.


	2. Uncomfortable Talks

"SQUALL!!!" "Oof!!" I fell over backwards, a bundle of warmth and brown spikes filling my mouth and arms. "S-Sora!!" I coughed. "You're getting a little big for htis, don't you think?" Sora rolled off of me, and by the time I managed to recompose myself and stand up, he was already bouncing in circles around me. "Nope!" He giggled, poking me in the stomach. I rolled my eyes in the usual fashion and walked back into my dorm, Sora following me like a little puppy. "You hungry? I was making lunch." Sora nodded, flopping down on my couch. "You sure you don't mind me staying?" He asked, kicking off his shoes. "Sora, you know you can come by and stay anytime you want." Something was up. Sora was usually upbeat, and well...hyper. But it seemed like something was on his mind. As soon as I opened my mouth to ask him, a little muffled jingle caused Sora to jump. "Oh...hehe...hold on. Let me get that." He practically shot off the couch and scrambled to the other side of the room in an attempt to stifle his conversation. My dorm wasn't that big, though, so it was still pretty easy to pick up parts of conversation.

"Hello??"

"Oh...heehee...hi."

"...I'm at my brother's dorm. Yeah, are you working today? He didn't."

"Tonight? Yeah, I can probably have dinner with my brother and then come."

"Over here?!?! Uhh..." I heard him laugh nervously. "Of course he knows...y-yeah...o-okay, then sure, you can come..."

"Okay, see you later. Bye."

Obviously the phone conversation had ended, because I heard Sora pad back over in his socks. I flipped the omlette I was making and raised my eyebrows when I saw him appear sheepishly out of the corner of my eye. "So...who was that?"

..."...S-Squall? Can I talk to you about something?" I flipped the omlette out of the pan and onto a plate, turning the stove off and wiping my hands on a rag. "Sure, Sora. What's up?" I'm sure I looked concerned, but this was an odd tone for my little brother to take on. "Well...um...you know how it's normal...for a boy to date a girl..." I nodded. Hm. This sounded oddly familiar. "Well...I think maybe...I'm not so normal..."

Wait. I remember why this sounded so familiar. Scarily familiar. There's no way...

"Sora? WHat do you mean? Of course you're normal..." I took his shoulder and faced him towards me, leading him to sit back down on the couch. "N-No...I'm really not..." He said, avoiding my gaze. "Sora, just spit it out."

"Squall, I'm gay."

...WHAT!?!?

"...W-What?" "I'm gay, Squall..." Sora's voice got very quiet, his lip quivering. I could see the tears welling up in his eyes. "...I kind of...have a boyfriend..." "A...A boyfriend.." This was...insane...there was no way Sora was gay. No way!! He was supposed to be the most normal out of all of us. And now he was going to go down the path I already had. "Yes...a boyfriend..." And suddenly the tears welled over, streaming down his . "D-Don't hate me, Squall...I'm sixteen, and I made my own decision...I'm old enough to know, and Riku is a great guy, and I think I might just love him, and..." WOAH. HOLD UP.

"Wait...Riku???" Sora started crying even more. "Y-Y-Yeah...R-Riku...the one you work with..." Okay, now this was just turning into some freaky soap opera. "Sora...listen to me. Stop crying, okay?" Man, I was horrible at this comforting thing..."It's okay. SORA." The weeping subsided, but I could still hear sniffles. Sora reached an arm up and wiped his nose on his sleeve. There was no way he was sixteen..."Sora, really. Listen to me for a second. I don't care if you're gay." "You...you don't?" More sniffling. He was abot to crack any second. "No, I don't." I smiled a little, ruffling his chesnut spikes. "B-But...doesn't that make me...like, a freak or something?" I frowned, bringing my hand back down. "Sora, you are NOT a freak. Where did you get that idea?" 

"Well..." He began wringing his hands, shifting in his seat.

"Well what?" I was becoming impatient, which usually from experience isn't a good thing.

"...A group of people at school called me a fag." He mumbled, averting his gaze. I felt a surge of rage well up inside me. I knew those phrases all too well. 'Hey fag'. 'What's up, homo.' I can accept it when it's me. But Sora...Sora isn't strong enough to handle things like that. He doesn't deserve to be called things like that...

"You are NOT a fag, okay? And anyone that says that to you can go fuck themselves." Sora's eyed widened. "Oh no no, I didn't mean for you to get angry...people at my school are just stupid, it's not a big deal, really." I was getting frustrated now, too. "It is a big deal!! Why in the hell does everyone think that gay people are freaks of nature!! We're not freaks! Just because we happen to like people of the same sex doesn't mean we're that different from anyone else!!" I continued to blab, only stopping when Sora hit me across the face. I huffed, putting a hand up to feel the stinging spot where he hit me. "What the hell was that fo-"

"We?" Sora stared seriously into my eyes, making me feel really uncomfortable. Shit, I really need to think before I start talking.

"Um...yeah. Surprise?" Sora's mouth dropped open. I tend to do that to a lot of people. "You're gay??" I sighed. I guess he was bound to find out sooner or later, and while we were both spilling our guts..."Um...yeah. I didn't mention that little detail?" Playing dumb works too. "No, seems you left out that _tiny _bit of information." "Oh...well...yeah. Me too." "SInce when!?"

I knew this was going to bring on a huge string of questions that quite frankly I didn't feel like answering...they brought back bad memories anyway.

"There was a dance...and leather...and it;s a long story. The point is, you're just the same as everyone else. You feel like everyone else, and you bleed like everyone else." Sora winced, and I got the feeling that teasing wasn't the only thing Sora was getting a lot of due to his sexual orientation.

I placed my hand over his chest and smiled. "And you love just like everyone else. And nothing anyone says is going to make you less of who you are."

I could see the tears being to weel up in Sora's eyes once again, and I second later he was curled up against my chest like the little puppy he was.

I patted his back awkwardly, knowing that I didn't need to say anything. That's the way Sora and I were...we communicated through small little motions, but they said more than any word could.

We sat like that for about an hour, sharing stories. Of course, Sora had about 50 questions for me...and I answered them as bluntly as possible. I may have scarred him slightly..but he was old enough anyway. It was quite ausing to see his eyes widen in shock as I explained just _how_ I knew I was gay. I think we were both happy when the doorbell rang, after that.

Sora jumped up, opening the door with zeal. "RIKU!!" Riku laughed, smiling and catching Sora as he jumped into his arms. And then it got awkward.

RIku started kissing him.

Granted, it wasn't awkward because it was two males, just awkward because it was my brother. I turned my vision to the tv to give them a few minutes of privacy, but I could still hear noises, and my mind could only block out so much of it. After a few minutes of slurping noises, I stood up, putting my hands in my pockets and clearing my throat. Sora pushed Riku off of him immediately and flushed. "Let's go. BYE SQUALL." "Ho ho ho, hold on a second." I could see Sora's face scrunch up. "Couple of things before you leave." Oh, c'mon Squall!! We're just going to the movies!!"

"I know, and I just thought I'd let Riku know that if you come home in any condition less than you are now, I'll rip his jugular out and eat it while watching him writhe in pain on the floor."

Sora's look of utter humiliation was only a small snag in the joy I felt at seeing Riku practically shit himself. "D-Don't worry, Squall, Sora will come home in better condition than he was when we left!!" "...And in the same clothes, I hope." I added nonchalantly. This was too much fun. "Of course, of course..." RIku mumbled, giving me a look of pure hatred. I'm sure I was supposed to read it, 'Watch your back at work come Monday,' but I only chuckled as his eye twitched.

"Let's go, Riku...we'll be late for the movie..." Sora said loudly, interrupting his death glare at me. "Remember Riku, Sora comes home deflowered and you leave without the use of your limbs."

Riku smirked and saluted me. "Yes, _sir._" He turned on his heel as Sora attempted to push him out the door. I sighed heavily, waiting for them to leave before rushing over to the window. Now I _really _felt like Sora's father, spying on him as he left with his boyfriend. I watched Sora skip out to Riku's car, and Riku, being the gentleman that he is, open the passenger door for him. ...Okay, maybe he wasn't so bad. He seemed to be gentlemanly enough.

I practically choked when I noticed Riku's hand squeezing Sora's ass as he climbed in.


	3. Forgetfullness and the First Kiss

Friday's at the shop were really boring. And I mean REALLY. Especially when your psychotic boss is making you work three hours of overtime, which, in all truthfulness, was very unnecessary. I already finished my romance novel, so I stood behind the counter, almost praying that a customer would come. The store was completely silent...except for the annoying 90s rock playing over the speakers...

...and the annoying voice singing along to it.

"Yuffie...aren't you supposed to be meeting your date?" I muttered, rubbing my temples. "Oh, hush, you. I'm about to leave. I just wanted to know what you thought about my outfit!!" She hopped away from the counter, sticking out her hip and raising her arm in a ridiculous fashion. "Well?? How do I look?" She was sporting a tiny mini skirt and a neon pink polo that made my eyes water. I stared dumbly at her.

"Yuffie...why the hell do you think I'd be able to help you with fashion advice?"

She wrinkled her nose at me, looking me up and down. "Well, I guess you're right. I'm talking to the man who's wearing _that_ on what could be one of the most important nights of his life." "...What are you talking about? I always wear this to work." I looked down at my faded jeans and maroon sweater. It had gotten colder, and I switched from tshirt to sweater so I wouldn't freeze my butt off. Yuffie snorted. "Well, yeah, but I assumed you might dress up for your date, even if it means doing a little more laundry the night before. Honestly, Squall, I knew you were lazy, but seriously..." She huffed, frowning at me. "What are you talking about? My date is on Friday the 16...not..." I looked at the calendar. "Friday the...16th..." Yuffie nodded.

...Shit.

My date was tonight at 6. And it was currently...I looked at the tacky cat clock on the wall that was taunting me. 6:45.

...Double shit.

"Dammit, Yuffie, I gotta go." I grabbed my coat from its hook and jumped the counter. "I need you to take over for me tonight, okay?" "What!??!" She screeched. I could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears. "Yuffie, this is seriously important! Just call your date and tell him you'll have to reschedule!!" "Why can't YOU reschedule?" She retorted. following me as I packed all my stuff up. "Because I'm a dumbass, that's why! You can dock my pay later, okay? Thank you! You won't regret this!!" I managed to push past her and ran out of the store, leaving Yuffie to pout at the counter.

Dammitdammitdammit, there was NO WAY I was gong to make it to the coffee shop before seven. I didn't even know why I was bothering, considering the chances that Cloud was still there was slim to none. But I still had to try, because being the jerk that I am, if I stood him up completely there would be no way I would have a chance with him.

So I lost a shoe, almost ran over an old woman, tripped over a small dog, and got my coat caught in the bus doors.

But I made it to the coffee shop in 7 minutes flat.

I slammed into the coffee shop, the dingle of the bell alerting people to my presence. Well, that, and the fact that I was breathing heavily and missing a shoe. I scanned the room of college students staring at me, until my gaze caught on a tiny blond, holding a cup of coffee and wearing one adorable blue scarf. "S-Squall?"

"...Hey Cloud...sorry I'm late..."

Oh. Smooth.

I made my way over, ignoring the stares I got, and sat down next to him on the lumpy couch. "So...hey. What's up." Cloud set his coffee down, smiling at me. It was blatantly obvious that he was holding down a laugh. "You know..." He said, "I _was_ going to chew you out for being an hour late, but I think the public humiliation you've just put yourself through has been punishment enough."

"...Gee. Thanks."

He chuckled, pointing at my socked foot. "It's nice to know I'm worth running around out in public without a shoe, though. I'm flattered." I continued my child-like grumbling, blushing. "Yeah...well...I'm sorry anyway. I'm sure you were thinking there for awhile that I was going to set you up." Cloud nodded, picking up his coffee again and taking a sip, his breath visible even in the warm shop. "It crossed my mind. But then I realized, if _i_ had been asked out by _me_, there's no way I would leave me hanging out in a coffee shop all by myself. I'd take the opportunity to have a wonderful, intellectual conversation filled date with a man who shares the same interests as me. So no, I knew you'd show." He took another sip, readjusting his scarf. Wow. Guy thinks pretty highly of himself.

Oh he was bs-ing the whole explanation. That's always possible, too.

"Ah. I see. So, you waited here for an _hour_ because you knew your superior logic would conquer over the idea that I could have possibly been a complete dumbass and forgotten." Cloud thought a moment, stroking his chin in a goofy manner. "Yeah. Pretty much. And I knew you were a dumbass when you forgot to give me my change the other day."

Ouch. Touchee.

"Oh...yeah...sorry about that...I just assumed that we had made a lot more money that day." The blush deepened. "Why didn't you say anything about it?" Cloud smiled. "You were cute. And I figured you could use a tip with that psychotic boss of yours." I laughed sarcastically to myself, nodding. "Yeah, she does tend to be a handful at times. Thanks. And here." I dug in my pocket and pulled out the five dollars that was supposed to be his change. "I was going to pay for your coffee anyway, and since you got here first..." Cloud smiled, and I almost expected him to protest, but he took it, pocketing it. "Thanks."

We sat chatting for the next couple of minutes. It was idle chatter, but the warmth that came from Cloud was unmistakable, and created an amazing and comfortable atmosphere. I found myself relaxing and laughing along with him, completely forgetting about the rest of the shop full of people. It was just me and Cloud. The Romeo and Juliet of modern day.

Well...that is if Juliet was an adorable 19 year old man and Romeo was a flaming homosexual, and neither had families bent on feuding the other to take control of the country.

...But other than that, it was complete Shakespeare.

I don't think either of us realized how late it had gotten until we noticed that the workers were shutting down the equipment. I tore my eyes off of Cloud and looked around. The shop was completely empty, and half of the lights were off. The employees were waiting until the last possible minute until they had to kick us out. "Oh...wow...it's already 9:30..." I said, checking my watch. We had talked for two and a half hours? Dear Lord...

Cloud sighed. "I really ought to be getting home anyway. I'm staying with my mother for a few weeks, helping her get ready for the family that's staying with her until Thanksgiving. It's a nightmare if she doesn't have at least three sane people helping her prepare." He chuckled. "Oh, I understand. It's no problem. I would offer you a ride home, but I walk to work, and I ran all the way here, so..." Oh, that will get you brownie points, Squall. Way to go. Cloud shook his head, standing up and stretching. "Oh, it's no problem. I can actually give _you _a lift home, if that wouldn't wound your pride too much." I took one look outside at the dark, and most likely freezing, streets, and smiled sheepishly. "I think the thought of having any pride at all after tonight is out the window. I would love a ride home."

Cloud, surprisingly, was a very calm driver. I almost expected him to speed, or have road rage of some kind, but once again he overcame my expectations and drove very well. The atmosphere was nice too, as he kept music playing softly over the speakers.

"What is this?" I said curiously, turning up the volume knob slightly so the music was more audible. "Justin King. You heard of him?" I listened to the amazing acoustic guitar flowing throughout the vehicle. It was amazing to me. It sounded like five different guitarists at once, all playing a different part of the song, and each one putting their heart and soul into each performance. "Can't say I have. This is one guy?" Cloud smiled. "Yeah. He's a real inspiration for me, actually. I hope I can be as good as him one day." Another shocker. "You play guitar?" Cloud chuckled, nodding. "I'm a moderate player. I don't have skills, but the one thing I do have is passion."

Cloud was getting more and more amazing by the minute. I was starting to feel a little more inferior as time went on, but I didn't really care. I was just excited to get to know him.

Cloud found the way to my house easily. He was good at taking in directions, and never got frustrated when I was horrible at explaining where he should go next. Seriously, I have never seen anyone have so much patience. I rushed out as soon as the car came to a stop, running around to the front to open Cloud's door and help him out. He grinned, taking my hand. "You're as gentlemanly as I expected. Thank you, sir." I closed the door, and released the grip on my hand to give him my final thanks and goodbyes, but he kept his grip in place and began walking towards the door.

Oh God. Oh godohgodohgod. I felt like a middle school girl, with her date leading her to the porch. I prayed to God that Sora was upstairs in bed and not waiting up for me, even though I was waaaay later than expected and he usually stays up in those situations to make sure that I hadn't died in a car wreck on the way home or something.

The walk to the porch seemed to take forever, and once we got there, I fumbled to get my keys out. "Hey Squall?"

I nearly dropped them, but managed to keep them from falling out of my sweaty palm. "Y-Yes?" I said, directing my attention on Cloud.

"I was wondering...do you want to come to my house for dinner next week?" Dinner? With his mother? Ooh...wow...normally, I would have made some excuse to get out of it, considering I'm horrible in 'meet the parents' situations, but Cloud's puppy face was making it really difficult to turn him down. Eventually I sighed, and put on my best face. "Sure. I'd love to have dinner."

The look on Cloud's face after I accepted could only be compared to that of a little boy's on Christmas after he got his beebee gun. His eyes lit up, and a giant grin spread across his face. "I'll call you later and tell you more about it, okay? Oh, and I had a lot of fun tonight. Really." He blushed, and before I had time to think, I felt a warm breath on my face, and a split second later warm lips on my own.

Before I even had time to react it was over, and Cloud was walking back to his car. I'm pretty sure I stood on the porch for a few minutes, even after he had driven away, but the tingling sensation I felt on my lips just wouldn't go away.


	4. Meet the Parents

So...I'm almost a little nervous about this chapter, even though it's one of my favorites so far. It's a little long, but it foreshadows other stuff that will be happening later, and I got to write a make out scene. Er...semi make out scene. So I hope you like this one!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Squall's little emo butt, that's Cloud's.

Have fun!!

* * *

_Chapter 4. _

I stuffed my hands in my coat pockets as I crunched through the snow, making my way up the steps to Cloud's house. It was Thursday, which I had off, and Cloud had invited me over to not only have dinner with his Mother, but with his entire family who was in town for the holidays.

Fun stuff.

I pulled my coat tighter around my neck and rang the doorbell, knocking some of the snow off of the bottom of my boots. A moment later, I heard loud barking behind the door and a muffled voice, "Sephy, stay OFF of Vincent!! Jesus, do I have to separate you two?? A dog should not have that much of a sexual attraction to a cat..." Just as the mystery voice finished yelling the apparent horny dog out, the door swung open, and there stood my fellow classmate Demyx. He smirked as soon as he saw me, opening the screen door to let me in. "CLOUD!! Your boyfriend is here!!!" "Demyx for the last time he is not my-" Cloud rounded the corner, obviously not expecting me to be standing there. "Oh. Hi." He blushed for the first time since I had known him, and pushed Demyx roughly out of the way of the door. "Well let him in!! It's freezing out there and you're making him stand out in the cold..." Demyx snickered, stepping out of the way of his own will, as it was quite obvious that Cloud didn't have the manpower to move him forcefully. As soon as I stepped a foot inside, the wonderful aroma of cider, baked goods, and potpourri met my nose. It smelled like home...like family, as cheesy as that sounds.

I took my coat off, hanging it on the rack along with many others. Cloud sighed. "Demyx, go…help mom in the kitchen or something while I introduce Squall to everyone." Demyx gave a fake pout, jutting his lower lip out. "What, you don't trust me to help show around our Squally?" Cloud gave him a glare, and Demyx shot his hands up. "Fine, fine...always the victim here...can't ever be trusted..." He muttered, making his way down a narrow hallway and disappearing out of site. Cloud finally smiled, pulling me over and giving me a small peck on the cheek. "Hi." I grinned myself, and before I could give him what I felt was a proper greeting, I was interrupted by an interesting sensation on my ankle and loud panting noises. Cloud and I both stopped dead, looking down to see...

...the notorious horny dog, making his entrance by humping my leg.

Cloud's face turned a shade of red that I had never seen before, grabbing the small dog off of my leg. "Oh Squall!! I'm so sorry!! I don't know what got into Sephy!! He's usually not like this! Well, he is, but it's usually only to our cat..." I chuckled, shaking my leg off. "It's no problem, really. At least we know I'll never forget tonight, right?" Cloud laughed nervously, tossing his dog off towards the stairs. "Go! Get, you stupid horny thing..." Sephy up righted himself in no time, flouncing off as if nothing had happened. I was still laughing as Cloud averted his eyes in shame, leading me into the family room.

"Dad? You here?"

I saw a head of thinning blond hair peeking, barely visible from behind a large lounge chair facing oppositely to the entrance of the living room. "Cloud?" A voice replied quietly. "Come over here, son! I was just reading the paper."

Cloud made his way over towards the chair, motioning for me to follow. It felt odd following him, though, like I was going into some forbidden zone that I wasn't supposed to be seeing. Cloud rounded the chair and leaned over, hugging the man that was apparently his father. "Hi, dad." He said warmly, kissing him lightly on the forehead. He looked up an noticed that I was still standing behind the chair timidly. "Squall, get over here." He laughed, grabbing me by the upper arm and pulling me over.

I finally saw the reason Cloud's dad was in the chair, and not up with the rest of the family. His hair was thinning like any other middle aged man, the same straw color as Cloud's, but the wrinkles in his skin were more defined, and he _looked_ older than I knew he was. It was as if each line had been etched into his face, and he looked very tired. The baggy circles under his eyes, the slouched way he was sitting, his heavy breathing...they all gave the appearance of an overly exhausted man. I couldn't help but smile a little sympathetically.

"Dad, this is Squall. Squall, this is my father." Cloud introduced us to each other formally, and I held my hand out to shake his. "It's very nice to meet you, sir."

Cloud's dad snorted. "So formal. Please, call me Richard." He halfheartedly scolded me, smiling just as warmly as Cloud and taking my hand in a surprisingly firm grip in both of his hands. "O-Okay, Richard." I smiled back, and in a way it was as if we made some unsaid bond. I never had a father, and now he would be my new father figure.

Cloud's dad looked m up and down for a moment, and Cloud didn't find this to be out of the ordinary at all, ad he watched his father do it. "I like him." Richard eventually decided. "He looks strong, both physically and mentally. I approve." Oh...so that's what he was doing...

Cloud's voice had grown softer, and I'm guessing in some way he was thanking his dad without words. "Thanks, dad. So much." Richard nodded and then picked the paper back up, lifting it so that it was covering his face. "Now go introduce Squall to the rest of the family, I'm sure they would all like to meet him before dinner starts." Cloud agreed, obviously, because he took my hand and led me out of the room and down the hall where Demyx had disappeared before.

I took the small walk to observe the house where Cloud had grown up. There were pictures everywhere, all of smiling and laughing babies. Some were older pictures, obvious due to the fact that they were in black and white, and others were newer pictures. A few of them I could place as Demyx, or looked like they could be members of Cloud's immediate family. Cloud groaned out of nowhere.

"Ugh...my baby pictures. Mom insists we put them up everywhere for the world to see, but it has been the reason for many of my friend's teasing me over the years..." He chuckled as if remembering. I grinned. "I think they're cute." Cloud blushed lightly. "Yeah, well...thanks..." He looked like he was about to say something else when I was practically mauled from the back by an unknown object.

"Oh. _Excuse me._" Ooh...that somehow sounded less than sincere.

"Roxas, stop that!! You're sixteen, and old enough to handle it when I bring someone home." Cloud was scolding the source of the voice who was still standing behind me. I turned around to get a look at my attacker, who was currently standing with his arms crossed, a sour look on his face. He had spiked blond hair, just like Cloud, though his was a little more tamed than his older brother. He had the same clear blue eyes, and he reminded me oddly of Sora, though Sora in no way would have ever had this much of an attitude.

"Yeah, whatever." He scoffed, pushing past us. Cloud sighed, embarrassed from the actions of his little brother. "I'm so sorry, he's usually not this bad, I promise...he always gets a little moody when I bring other people home, but I've never seen him be quite this bad..." I laughed. "Good to know that I was the one to put him over the edge." Cloud shrugged sheepishly, shaking his head. "He'll get over it eventually..."

He continued down the hallway and eventually turned into a giant kitchen, filled with food, people, and mayhem. "CLOUD! Thank God you've come back. I need your help, here." A small, beautiful middle aged woman came bustling over, and shoved a bowl with a few ingredients in it into Cloud's hands. "Make the apple pie for me, will you dear? And oh, is this Squall? He's very handsome, sweetie, I knew you would pick a good one." I turned my head to Cloud, raising and eyebrow, but he looked in the opposite direction, making his way over to the counter. "Yeah, mom, that's Squall. Don't scare him off, okay?" Cloud's mom giggled. "Now darling, how would I scare him off?" She turned to me, her frazzled hair coming out of it's long plait.

"Squall, dear, would you mind making the peach pie for me? It would help me out so much." She shoved a bowl not unlike the one Cloud was currently working with into my hands, and bustled off, whapping a child who had stolen a few cookies off the counter on the head.

"Uhh..." I don't know if Cloud mentioned this to his mother, but I was possibly the worst chef on the face of the earth. And she had just given me the responsibility of making a pie for their family dinner.

...Wonderful.

"Uhh...C-Cloud?" Suddenly the bowl was taken from my hands, and my savior sighed. "Gosh, if you can't even cook, then what good are you going to be to Cloud?" I turned and saw none other than Roxas, pouring out all the ingredients into the bowl as if he had made peach pies all his life.

"Oh...um...thank you?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "It's fine, but if I were you I'd learn how to cook something pretty soon. This family tends to live off of carbs, if you didn't notice." I chuckled nervously. This little kid was getting to me, for some reason he was more intimidating than Cloud's father.

We stood for a few moments in silence at the counter, the only noise coming from the rush of people trying to prepare behind us. Roxas seemed calm despite it all, and I did my best to get the ingredients for him as quickly as possible. While I was doing the _very_ exciting task of measuring water, I glanced over to see Roxas tapping eggs against the hard edge of the counter, and then cracking them one handed into the bowl.

"How did you do that?" I said in awe, watching a sixteen year old pwn my ass in baking. Roxas scoffed. "Like it's hard. Any buffoon can crack eggs. Of course, a buffoon is probably smarter than a family invading dumbass."

Oh, snap.

I closed my eyes for a moment. _He's just a little kid. Don't let him get to you. He's...man pms-ing or something. Oh hell, even I'M not that pissy when I'm man pms-ing...this kid's got some serious issues._

"I won't deny the fact that I'm a dumbass, but if I might remind you, it was your brother that invited me over."

"Don't you dare try to blame this on my brother!!" Roxas slammed the egg shell that he was currently holding down onto the counter, smashing it and spraying sticky yolk everywhere. He didn't seem fazed. "I'm not trying to blame anything on him!! I'm just saying, I don't understand why you're so angry at me!"

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYONE HURTING HIM WHEN HE'S ALREADY IN PAIN!!"

Roxas whacked the bowl of batter, spilling it's contents all over the floor in front of me before racing out of the room.

Everyone in the room was dead silent, and Cloud coughed lightly. "I'll go see to him, then." He set down the pie he was about to put in the oven and left the room after him.

I was stunned. I couldn't believe that I was such a burden to Roxas...and he mentioned Cloud already being in pain...what could he possibly have been talking about? I'm assuming that Cloud had been dumped by a previous boyfriend, perhaps, and that Roxas was afraid for his brother getting in a new relationship...

Cloud's mother clapped her hands and everyone in the room looked over at her. "The main course is ready!! Let's all go to the dining room area, please!" She called out, making her way over to me. I stood there awkwardly; my whole reason for being there and security blanket now upstairs with my new enemy. "Go ahead and go on with the rest, you can sit and I'll go fetch Cloud and Roxas." She smiled warmly, patting me on the shoulder. Now I knew where Cloud got his winner smile. I nodded, following the herd of toddlers and tweens into the dining room, where all the family was sitting. It was a long table, overly long for a normal sized family, but it was completely filled, and two other card tables had been set up to accommodate the younger kids. I found an empty seat that had another seat open next to it, for Cloud when he came back. I picked up my glass to take a drink out of it...

...and nearly dropped it when I felt a hand on my knee.

I covered it up with a cough as I noticed members of the family near me staring, and they went back to their normal conversations. I suppose it may have been wise to take a look at who I was sitting next to before I sat down. I set my drink down carefully and looked to my left, where a teenage messy haired blond sat. I was guessing it was another one of Cloud's close relatives due to the resemblance, but I didn't look at him long, because he winked at me whenever he caught me staring.

"Sorry, did I miss anything? Roxas can be a handful sometimes." I don't think I've ever been so happy to hear Cloud's voice in the few weeks I've known him. "Oh, hey. No, nothing really." I'm sure the look on my face gave away that I was slightly uncomfortable with the male sitting next to me, and Cloud laughed. "Oh, you met Tidus, did you? He always tends to give guests a warm welcome, especially when they're as attractive as you." I wasn't sure whether to be worried or pleased as dinner began, and I eventually became at ease as Cloud introduced me to almost all of his family during dinner.

Once the meal was over, (which was AMAZING, now I knew that Cloud must be a fantastic cook if he lived with this woman), Cloud kissed his mother on the cheek, thanked her for dinner, and turned to me. "Come with me, there's a room I want to show you." I thanked his mother as well, and Cloud led me up the squeaky staircase and down a hallway to a large door. "Okay. Ready?"

I smiled. "Ready as I'll ever be." Cloud grabbed onto the large brass handle and pulled the door out. I took a few steps inside.

I was standing in one of the most amazing in home libraries I had ever seen. "Well?" Cloud inquired, obviously excited. "What do you think?"

"This is amazing..." I breathed as I gazed around. The amount of books located in the single room was insane. All the walls were lined with bookcases, and books of all sizes filled each and every space. Most looked old, but none looked dusty, as if they had been read frequently. A fireplace was located on the far wall, along with a giant ornate rug and a few old pieces of comfortable furniture.

Cloud sighed, walking in farther and taking a seat on one of the couches. "I come in here a lot. It's kind of my sanctuary from my siblings, when I need to rest. Or sometimes I just feel like reading a good book. I found that romance novel you were reading the other day in here, by the way. I think it's older than you realized."

I nodded, making my way over and sitting next to him, being engulfed immediately by the heat of the fire. It was relaxing. I looked over at Cloud, who was scanning the books, his perfectly carved face being enlightened by the yellow flames. On an impulse, I took his chin and turned him towards me, kissing him on the lips lightly. They were as feather soft as I had remembered. He looked surprised, so I quickly thought up an excuse.

"...I didn't give you a proper greeting when I arrived, so I figured now was as good a time as any."

How it happened, I'm not really sure, but one minute I was smiling happily next to Cloud, and then next minute the gap between our faces had closed, and Cloud was kissing me, long and deep.

I hadn't really been in these situations much (okay, I'm lying a bit...so I had never been in one of these situations...), but it seemed like my body knew what to do of it's own accord, and I didn't have to think about anything but the way Cloud's lips were moving against mine, and the way I could feel his tongue darting out timidly every time his mouth opened.

I lifted one hand up to run through his soft locks (cliché, I know) and moved the other to his waist, my body holding him in place so he wouldn't leave. I somehow managed to scooch over closer so that our shoulders were touching, and Cloud made an amazing noise from the back of his throat.

I wanted to hear it again.

I did everything in my power to please him, trying every move I knew to make the moment more magical, more amazing. Eventually I broke away from his mouth, only when my lungs were screaming for oxygen, and occupied my mouth and it's hunger for Cloud's taste by laying soft kisses along his jaw line and down his neck.

I felt Cloud shiver for a split second, his breath becoming short and his arms wrapping around my shoulders. I worked at his neck for a moment, kissing and nibbling. I only stopped when I felt Cloud's arms travel slowly down my sides and to the bottom of my shirt, tugging on it lightly.

"...O-Off.."

My stomach jolted, and I pulled away. My body was aching for more contact, but I knew that we were going way too fast. "C-Cloud...maybe we shouldn't...be doing this...

(And off in the distance, A fangirl dies.)

Cloud's eyes were dark and frosty, a pale pink staining his cheeks. "B-But why not?" "I think...maybe we're going a little too fast...I mean, we've only known each other for a few weeks, and I don't want to rush things..."

As if coming to his senses, Cloud shook his head. I could still hear his voice shaking lightly, the blush still lingering on his cheeks. "Of course, I'm sorry...I don't know what got into me..."

I righted myself, pulling my shirt down and smoothing it back to it's proper place. "Yeah, same for me. It's fine, really, don't worry about it." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

We spent the rest of the night talking about good literature and our families...

...and stealing kisses.


	5. Melting Ice

Four months later, Cloud and I were inseperable.

I was still working at the book store, and Cloud got a job at the local coffee shop where we had our first date. Sora came by to visit more often now that I knew he and Riku were together, and Sora fell in love with Cloud. Not literally, of course, but Sora and Cloud became like siblings themselves, spending time together when I was at work.

Cloud and I spent every weekend together. Yuffie told us we were going to get tired of each other after awhile, but I just snorted.

"How is it possible to get tired of that angel?"

Overall, life had gone back to being routine, with a few surprises here and there due to Cloud. I was becoming more and more attached to him, and my heart had never felt so alive.

A tragedy did occur, however, in the first month we were officially together.

Cloud's father died of carcinoid tumors, a type of cancer that infects your lungs. The tumors grow slowly and show few related signs, so being diagnosed with the cancer comes almost too late. If the tumors grow and infect the lungs to a certain extent, the results are fatal. It was too late for him.

Cloud was crushed.

We spent the entire second month of our relationship helping with the funeral plans, family coming in and out of town, and the emotional strain that was put on both Cloud and his mother. I was at Cloud's every day, comforting both him and his mother. Roxas taught me how to cook when there was nothing else for me to do (Cloud's talk seemed to help soften his hard, outer shell), and Cloud's mother grew to be like the mother I always wished I'd had.

I became a member of the family.

It was a Friday at the end of the fourth month we were dating, and Cloud and I had plans to go ice skating that night. Granted, I had never been ice skating in my entire life, but I figured, if Cloud's two year old sister Namine could do it, so could I dammit.

My shift would be over in a matter of minutes, and I found myself peeking around the corner of the entrance to see if Cloud had gotten here yet. Yuffie snorted as she passed, her short hair flipping out today, piles of books in her thin arms. I assumed she had a date tonight too, considering it would be pointless to dress up for her two gay employees. "He'll get here, Squall. Chill out." I made a very msture hand gesture at her as she turned around and watched the clock, not paying attention to the paper work I was supposed to be filling out. Who needed tax references, anyway?

"Squall, I personally don't think flipping off your boss is the best way to keep a job."

I grinned, recognizing the honey like voice anywhere. "Psh, like she would fire me. No one else wants to work in this dump, anyway." I hopped over the counter, a sudden bounce in my step, and pulled Cloud by the arm up next to me to give him a light kiss. I had gotten more comfortable doing that in public, but I had the feeling if it was anyone but Cloud, I wouldn't be caught dead being romantic at all.

I could tell Cloud was excited. The second my rough lips left his, he took my hand and pulle me out of the store. "I'm stealing Squall for the afternoon, Yuffie!! He'll be back for work bright and early in the morning!" Yuffie just waved, somewhow magically balancing the books in one arm. "Of course!! You two have fun!! Loooots and loooots of fuuuuun!!" She winked, emphasizing every word in the most awkward way possible. I shot her a glare before Cloud forced me outside, and I soon forgot my insane boss with Cloud's jabbering. He can do that to people...make them forget the rest of the world just discussing what he ate for lunch.

By the time we arrived at the rink, it was mid afternoon, and there were lots of groups of families and tweens, there to have family bonding time or for birthday parties. Cloud kept a strong grip on my hand anyway, and I felt weight stronger than normal pulling against my shoulder. It felt odd, as if Cloud was using me as a support, but I eventually got used to the feeling as we rented our skates and put them on (with some difficulty on my part). Cloud walked gracefully over to the rink, still using me as a support, and stepped slightly onto the ice, gliding almost as soon as he was on it. I, however, wasn't quite as angelic. I grabbed onto the metal siding, working my way slowly but surely towards Cloud, who was giggling breathlessly at me a couple of feet away. I was tempted to trip the group of mini skirt clad girls laughing at me as they skated by, but I figured Cloud wouldn't appreciate that.

I finally made my way over, getting the hang of the feeling of being weightless. Cloud smiled, apparently proud of the fact that he had just taught a grown man how to ice skate. "Good job!" He praised, grabbing my hand again and slipping his fingers through mine. His hands were cold, his grip tight.

We skated around the rink a few times until I felt comfortable enough that I could have released Cloud's hand if I wanted to. I felt his fingers slide out of mine, and I figured he was letting me try skating on my own. I went forward a few feet easily, and turned around to boast my accomplishment. "Hey, I guess I don't need your help after a-" I was interrupted by a scream. No, not just a scream, a bloodcurling, rip through your senses shriek.

I felt something stab me, right through my heart. A grip of terror yanking a hold of it and pulling it out of my chest, leaving me unable to breathe or think clearly.

Cloud was flat against the ice, a stain of ruby red seeping and contrasting against the silvery white of the ice. His eyes were closed, his mouth open and filled with blood.

I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a sick, dry cough resulting from the lurch of my stomach.

"Someone call 911!! He's hurt!!" I heard someone yell. My brain didn't want to believe it, though. My world was stopping around me, all I could concentrate on was Cloud. Images of his father, pale and sullen, in his coffin were flashing in front of my eyes, making me sick. Medical personell were rushing by me, putting a mask on Cloud's perfect face, lifting him onto a rolling stretcher. THey were taking him away.

No. Not without me. No one takes Cloud without me.

I felt myself screaming, the noise ripping through my throat, as I pulled against the personell, begging them to not take him away. My vision was being blurred by wetness, and I was choking on my own words. I somehow concentrated for long enough to understand that they were letting me go with them. They kept reassuring me that everything was going to be fine, that they were going to take good care of Cloud. But that didn't make any sense.

How could everything be fine when my angel was in pain?


	6. Understanding

I awoke, cold and confused.

When I first opened my eyes, I was greeted by the harsh sights of chrome and tacky, 80s styled drapes and seat cushions. The couch I was laying on was obviously not made for comfort, and I was pretty sure that my neck would never be the same after my nap. A soap opera in Spanish was playing softly on the old TV in the corner, where a tired looking woman sat drinking coffee and staring off into nowhere.

It took me a moment to recognize where I was, and the moment I did I felt a sickness in the pit of my stomach. I was in a hospital waiting room.

The memories of earlier flooded back to me in a flash, the intensity of the moment I saw Cloud on the ice -

I had to stop there as I choked on my own spit. I remembered what happened, there was no need to torture myself when I didn't know where Cloud was or what had really happened at the skating rink. I spared a glance at the woman sitting near me, who seemed to be in the same condition as I was. Worried, alone, and afraid. I quickly wondered who she was waiting for. A sister, a cousin....a husband.

I suddenly realized that I couldn't sit here anymore. I had already foolishly wasted time by sleeping, an unsuccessful attempted at curing the throbbing I felt behind my eyes. I stood up quickly, which startled the woman who in turn got up to pace the room, and thrust open the glass doors until I walked blindly around the hospital area. I looked for anyone I felt I could talk to, anyone that seemed as if they would be willing to help me. I eventually settled for a counter with a remotely unstressed looking woman typing absentmindedly slouching behind it.

I hastily gathered my composure and approached the counter, attracting the woman's attention. She sighed and looked up at me, the circles under her eyes crying for peace to finally get rest. "May I help you, sir? Do you need the remote to the television?"

Why this woman could even fathom that crappy daytime television was on my mind right now I don't know, but I inhaled calmly and shook my head. "No, ma'am, I was actually wondering if you could tell me where someone I need to visit is located? He came in here earlier today, his name is Cloud Strife."

The woman tapped a few things into the computer, much too slowly for my impatience at the current situation, until she finally seemed to come upon the correct room assignment. "Cloud Strife, room 237B. He's on the second floor. Unfortunately, Mr. Strife is in critical condition at the moment and is on a strict family based visitor schedule. What relation are you to Mr. Strife?"

"What kind of idiotic rule is that? Of course I should be able to see Cloud, I'm his -"

I stopped. Fuck.

The scenario ran through my head. "Of course, ma'am, I'm his gay lover. Please lead me to his room now."

I closed my eyes. "...Never mind. Please, just....let me know when I can see him."

My heart was aching, the pain resonating through my whole body. Why did such a rule even exist? Cloud is my family. He's my life, my everything...

I think my life constitutes as a family member.

Not only that, but Hollow Bastion doesn't promote or allow gay marriage. What if something like this were to happen again? I had no idea where Cloud was, what kind of condition he was in, whether he was alive or dead...

I almost collapsed as I made my way back to the waiting room. Disoriented, I sat again in the indentation I had made in the plastic seat cover, sinking down until I didn't have to support myself anymore. Until I didn't have to feel or think or concentrate.

The tears welled over of their own accord, streaming down my face in unholy amounts. I tasted the salt and moisture, not really caring that I was sitting in a room that was now full or a few more people sitting with the woman who was pacing just a few minutes before. None of them even seemed to have the slightest interest in me, save for one who watched my entire pathetic progression of metamorphosis into a lifeless lump.

I cried until the moisture finally stopped itself. My eyes couldn't take losing anymore fluids, so I just slumped in my plastic seat. Waiting.

I was just about completely out of my state of consciousness when the man who had been staring at me before sat down quietly in the seat next to me, almost completely silent expect for the squeak of the cheap plastic. It was enough to grab my attention, but the only movement I made to acknowledge his presence was to turn my head slightly to glance in his direction. He was a solemn looking man. Not really upset, but not happy by any means. He just seemed to be there, going through the motions of life. His choppy, silver hair flashed lightly in the fluorescence as he shifted to look at me.

"Hello," He said casually.

It struck me as odd that he started the conversation so normally when we were all obviously not in a normal situation. He didn't seemed phased by the situation of a grown man weeping as he cleared his throat and began again after I failed to answer.

"My name is Zexion. I hope you don't mind my introducing myself." He gracefully turned and held his hand out, an obvious invitation for me to shake it. I contemplated shrugging him off again, but then realized that anything that could possibly get my mind off my current situation couldn't really be a negative thing.

I propped myself up straighter, taking his hand in a firm grip. "Nice to meet you, Zexion. I'm Squall." The whole interaction was rather awkward, but at the time I couldn't have cared less. He smiled by pulling the corners of his mouth slightly upward, his eyes still sullen.

"It's my pleasure." He paused before casually starting his intended conversation, which I could have assumed from the start. "May I ask why you're here?" It was a simple question, and I knew he wouldn't have minded whether I told him or not.

Something about the way he sat, the look behind his grey eyes, and the strength I felt in his grip reminded me of Cloud. I answered slowly.

"My...friend is currently in ICU, being treated for something that I'm not quite sure of yet." I exhaled, trying to be as politically correct with my word choice as possible.

"Something about your aura at the present tells me that this person is more to you than just a friend." I looked at Zexion, surprised by his blatant comment. I sighed, realizing that caring about the thoughts of a complete stranger were ridiculous given the situation. "...You're right, actually. He's my lover."

Zexion just nodded. "I see. I'm very sorry." I watched him speak, his facial expression remaining the same. But something about how he said it made me realize that he wasn't tossing bullshit at me to make me feel better. He really meant it. So I figured it was my turn to ask. 'What about you?"

"My sister is currently in labor with twins."

His answer took me by surprise. His lack of excitement was confusing. "Is that...a bad thing?" He shook his head, his eyebrows creasing slightly. "No...I just figured that...well, being happy in a place that's causing many people so much pain seems a little odd, doesn't it?"

I had never really thought of it in that context. The same place that took many lives away from families and friends also gave life. The destroyer is the creator, The Shiva is the Brahman. It didn't seems to connect in my head.

"Well, thank you, but congratulations on your sister's labor." I attempted a smile. He remained sullen.

"I lost a lover in this hospital, four years ago."

My smile dropped. That sick feeling I had felt the moment I had woken up returned.

"...I'm very sorry..." It was all I could think of to say. As soon as he said it my worst fears seemed to come true in my mind.

"I'm not letting you know this to worry you or make you concerned for your lover's well being. I'm sure he's doing very well. I lost my partner to a disease that we knew was coming, for a very long time. As soon as he was diagnosed we were told he didn't have long to live, a few months maybe. I'm sharing this with you because I want you to know that I understand your pain. The pain of not being considered family enough to be with your loved one in their time of pain. I wasn't allowed in the room when he died. He died alone, none of his family in the area to be with him in time."

I stared in disbelief at Zexion's composure as he spilled his story to me, a complete stranger. Although his story was horrific and awful, I felt a sort of comfort coming from his smooth tone. He understood. The first one to understand, ever.

Before I realized what I was doing, I grabbed Zexion around his small shoulders and pulled him against me, hugging him.

"Thank you." I whispered. Finally, someone had understood.


End file.
